The brigade leaders considered that everyone was going into the mountains with their whole families, including children, and were worried that the big animals coming down from the mountain might frighten or injure people. So they discussed with several brigades when to go up the mountain to hunt, and the game they caught would be distributed together.
Each household can send one person, and the household that sends someone will receive an extra ten catties of meat, with the rest divided equally among the members. The three of us even discussed this matter.
Are you two going?
"Are you going?" Chen Junjie asked.
"Not planning to go?"
Why?
"It's simple. It's all men going. Even though I'm young, I still need to be mindful of my reputation, right?"
“What you said is indeed correct,” Chen Enpeng said.
"And what about you?"
“We don’t plan to go either. Although we want to eat meat, we need to be alive to eat it. Not only are we not as skilled as you, but we also don’t know anyone in the brigade. Who would let you lean on them in such a dangerous situation? We’d be lucky if they didn’t attack us,” Chen Enpeng said.
"That's right."
"If there are any left over, we can just buy some," Chen Junjie said.
"That's one way. Whether we can buy it or not is another matter; life is the most important thing, don't you think?"
"That's true, but I don't know what kind of meat we'll be able to buy then," Chen Junjie asked worriedly.
"It's hard to say. If all that's left are bones, we can just make soup later."
You're right.
After discussing it, the three of us decided that none of us would go. Instead, we would go into the mountains to gather firewood, pine nuts, walnuts, and the like.
Every time I go into the mountains, I put a nylon bag in my basket, and I also secretly put things in my storage space.
I've also harvested the crops planted in the courtyard of the space. Now the courtyard is empty. Whenever I see something on the mountain that is edible or firewood, I take it into the space. The things inside are almost as many as the things I left outside, all piled up in heaps.
Because of his strength, he didn't just fill his basket with firewood like Chen Enpeng and the other two and then put a bundle of firewood on top before heading down the mountain. Instead, he filled his bag, picked up two bundles of firewood, and carried them down the mountain on a wooden stick.
However, he moved faster than the others and rarely stayed with them. Most of the funds were in the area between the central outskirts and the deep mountains. Now, some of the able-bodied men in the brigade had gone into the mountains, where it was relatively safe. Even if some escaped, they were just small fry.
Not only can you hunt prey, such as wild rabbits or pheasants, as long as you go up the mountain and enter this area, you can also find a lot of wild eggs.
The hunting party would be gone for three days and two nights. This was all agreed upon. Taking advantage of this time, when no one else was around, they discovered a chestnut grove. Knowing Chen Enpeng and his men didn't have much food, they told them, "Are you two going or not? If not, that whole grove is mine!"
“We have to go, we can’t not go. We’ve roughly calculated that the grain we earn probably won’t even be enough to feed us for half a year,” Chen Enpeng said.
"Yes, Mianmian, thank you so much! Chestnuts are food, after all."
"Alright, no need to be so sad. Since that's the case, let's bring our own lunch tomorrow, and take several bags. We'll pack it into the bags in the morning and carry it down the mountain in the afternoon, but we have to avoid other people, understand?"
"Don't worry about that," Chen Enpeng said.
"That's settled then, whoever finds it keeps it."
"That won't do," Chen Junjie immediately objected. There were two of them, and besides, it was Mianmian who found the chestnuts.
"Alright, the two of you might not even be able to beat me."
After thinking for a moment, Chen Enpeng said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
And so, we went into the mountains at dawn, not caring whether there was dew or not. When we arrived at our destination, we started packing into our bags, not caring about the shells. We filled the bags first, and then filled the baskets.
After lunch, we rested for a while, then hid the bags in the weeds and covered them with another layer of weeds. Each of us carried a basket on our backs; the other two carried two bags each, and we carried four bags by ourselves. We started heading down the mountain. Lately, I've been running in the mountains every day, so I know where there are fewer people and where there are more, and I also know some of the smaller paths. Plus, I'm the fastest runner and have even worn out a small path myself.
"You two follow me and don't say a word. Although this place is usually deserted, everyone is on the mountain now, either looking for food or gathering firewood, so there are bound to be some people nearby."
Okay, we'll do as you say.
"good"
And so, carrying baskets and loads on their backs, they descended the mountain an hour later than usual. Once home, they put their things down, drank a bowl of water, quickly emptied the chestnuts from their baskets and bags onto the ground, picked up the baskets, bags, and sticks, and set off again. The ascent was quick; they arrived in an hour.
First, fill the baskets and bags. Carry them downhill, and then come back up to carry the rest. However, you can only fill the baskets, not the bags, because there isn't enough time, and it's always unsafe to be on the mountain at night. Finally, we finished collecting chestnuts in a chestnut grove before the hunters came down the mountain.
Thinking of the chestnuts in the yard, Chen Junjie said, "I feel a little more at ease now, but how do I handle and preserve these chestnuts?"
The three of us are currently in the square in front of the brigade headquarters, watching the prey they've distributed. Chen Enpeng, eloquent and quick-witted, is helping out from the front, while the other two of us are watching together. Then Chen Junjie asked, and after thinking for a moment, I said:
"Let's leave them to dry in the sun for a few days. After the heavy snow closes the mountain passes, when we have nothing to do, we can use stones to crack them open inside the house, pick out the chestnuts, make a cut on each chestnut, and roast or boil them. If you're worried about them spoiling easily, you can boil them, peel them, dry them in a pan until all the moisture is gone, crush them, and use them to make porridge. When spring comes and the weather warms up, we can put them in the sun to dry thoroughly, which will definitely help them last longer."
After hearing the suggestion, Chen Junjie thought it was a good idea. Besides, there wasn't much to do in winter, so he could just take his time. After thinking it through, he asked, "How do I preserve the walnuts, pine nuts, and corn?"
"After removing the outer green skin of these walnuts, just put them in the yard to dry. Once they are dry, pack them up and place them in a high place to keep them from getting damp. They can be stored for about half a year."
As for pine nuts, it's even simpler; just dry them and store them. You can roast them whenever you want to eat them, and if stored properly, they can last for one or two years. As for hazelnuts? Store them in a dry, well-ventilated place, and they should last for about two to three months.
"Oh, I see!"
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